386 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



to deep and sluggish waters ; yet in several instances, where it 

 has found its way into cold and rapid streams, and even small sized 

 brooks, by means of the constructing of canals or by the hand of 

 man, it has adapted itself to the change, and in 2 or 3 years stocked 

 to overflowing these new locations. As a pan-fish for the table it 

 is surpassed by few other freshwater species. For endurance and 

 rapidity of increase it is unequaled 



"The Grass Bass is perfectly adapted to stocking ponds. It 

 will thrive without care in very small ponds of sufficient depth. It 

 will in nowise interfere with the cultivation of any number of 

 species, large or small, in the same waters. It will live harmoni- 

 ously with all others, and while its structure and disposition re- 

 strain it from attacking any other but very small fry, its formid- 

 able armature of spinous rays in the dorsal and abdominal fins 

 will guard it against the voracious pike." 



The operations of the United States Fish Commission and those 

 of some of the state commissions have considerably extended its 

 range by its introduction into waters which it did not previously 

 inhabit. 



Its spawning time is usually during the last half of June, though 

 some individuals may begin spawning a little earlier and occasion- 

 ally the spawning season will be prolonged into July. The place 

 selected is on the tops and near the edges of the bars in 8 to 10 

 feet of water or shallower. The particular place selected is apt to 

 be on a small ridge in a clean patch of sand surrounded by short 

 Chara which abounds on most of the bars at these depths. It is 

 known to spawn in considerable numbers on the bars off" Long- 

 Point and it probably spawns on all such bars in the lake. The 

 nest is usually somewhat circular in form and is about 8 or 9 

 inches in diameter. The nest is composed usually of coarse sand 

 and fine gravel, with occasionally a few dead shells of Vivipara 

 contectoides. So far as observed the nests are not very close to 

 each other, but are usually separated by a distance of 5 or 6 feet, 

 thus giving each nest or pair of fish from 6 to 8 square feet of 

 space. 



We have not, as yet, been able to make any satisfactory obser- 

 vations as to the number of eggs which this species lays or the 

 period of incubation, nor are we aware that these facts have been 

 determined by any one. 



The Calico Bass reaches an average size of 5 pound in the lake 

 and rarely exceeds 1^ pounds in weight. One 12 inches long 

 weighed 1 lb. 1^ oz., and one 10| inches long weighed 9i oz. The 



